Raytheon Company

Gentex Corporation

Thales Visionix, Inc.

Kenneth Scott Ellis

David James Knapp

Scott W Sparrold

James P Mills

Richard A Paiva

Thomas D Arndt

Richard Nicholas Pfisterer

Todd W Ashcraft

Todd Ashcraft

A common lens HMD is shown and described. The use of a common lens in a biocular or binocular helmet mounted display (HMD) system provides a means to manipulate light rays from an image(s) which are traveling from two or more separate upstream optics trains to the helmet visor and onward to each eye, with fields of view which overlap at the midpoint of the visor. The common lens changes the optical paths of each individual ray going to a single eye, and changes the corresponding ray traveling to the other eye in a mirrored fashion (i.e. with the opposite component in the Left/Right direction).

Common lens helmet mounted display

A steerable optical arrangement. The inventive arrangement includes a first prism mounted for rotation about an optical axis and a second prism mounted for rotation about the optical axis. In accordance with the inventive teachings, the first prism and/or the second prism have at least one surface contoured to correct for optical aberration. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second prisms are Risley prisms. In addition, the illustrative implementation includes a first motor arrangement for rotating the first prism about the optical axis and a second motor arrangement for rotating the second prism about the optical axis. A controller is provided for activating the first and second motors to steer the beam at an angle &phgr; and nod the beam at an angle &thgr;. At least two surfaces at least one prism is contoured to correct for astigmatism, coma, trefoil and other non-rotationally symmetric aberration. The contour is effected by laser etching, micro-machining or optical thin-film coating of the prisms in the manner disclosed herein.

Beam steering optical arrangement using Risley prisms with surface contours for aberration correction

A missile seeker. The inventive missile seeker includes a dome within which a novel optical arrangement is retained. The optical arrangement includes a first prism mounted for rotation about an optical axis and a second prism mounted for rotation about the optical axis. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second prisms are Risley prisms. In addition, the illustrative implementation includes a first motor arrangement for rotating the first prism about the optical axis and a second motor arrangement for rotating the second prism about the optical axis. A controller is provided for activating the first and second motors to steer the beam at an angle &phgr; and nod the beam at an angle &thgr;. In a specific implementation, the first prism and/or the second prism have at least two surfaces contoured to correct for optical aberration. A teaching is provided to contour the surfaces to correct for astigmatism, coma, trefoil and other non-rotationally symettric abberation. The contour may be effected by laser etching, micro-machining optical thin-film coating or other such technique.

Missile seeker having a beam steering optical arrangement using risley prisms

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Kenneth Scott Ellis